India’s oldest Test cricketer, CD Gopinath, a member of India’s first ever Test-winning team, died at the age of 96 on Thursday, closing an important chapter in the country’s cricketing history.
Gopinath was part of the Indian side that recorded their first Test victory in 1952 when they beat England by an innings and eight runs in Chennai. With his departure, India loses one of the last remaining voices from this historic dressing room.
He was the oldest living Indian Test cricketer and the second oldest in the world after Australia Neil Harvey, who is 97. Gopinath is survived by his wife, children and grandchildren. After his death, Chandrakant Patankar became India’s oldest living cricketer at the age of 95.
Even in his nineties, Gopinath spoke vividly of India’s first Test win. He recalled that moment four years ago with characteristic humor. “See! That’s the benefit of a long life. You can keep adding to and rewriting the story. Everyone gives me the benefit of age, but you know, the benefit of the doubt is always on the batsman, right?”
His international career was short but promising. Gopinath played eight Tests and scored 242 runs, including a half-century. He started with scores of 50 and 42 against England at the Brabourne Stadium in 1951, but a difficult tour of England the following year limited his chances going forward.
He had a far greater influence in domestic cricket. Representing Madras and often leading the side, Gopinath scored 4,259 runs in 83 matches at an average of 42, with nine centuries. One of his best knocks was 175 for South Zone in New Zealand against a strong team that featured Bert Sutcliffe and John Reid.
Gopinath later fondly recalled these innings, especially the reactions of his opponents. He spoke of how Reid and Sutcliffe came up to him after the game, a gesture that stayed with him for years.
After his playing days, Gopinath continued to serve Indian cricket. He was the chief selector and also managed the Indian team during the 1979 tour of England, a series remembered for Sunil Gavaskar’s 221 at The Oval in a chase of 438.
Gopinath remained closely associated with the game even in his later years. He followed modern cricket and was an avid observer of the Indian Premier League. He was particularly fond of Chennai Super Kings and often spoke of his admiration for MS Dhoni.
“Everything changes with the team, cricket is no exception,” he said. “I chose CSK mainly because of MSD not because of his cricketing brain but because of the way he plays. He doesn’t walk around the pitch and jump 10 feet high. He doesn’t make obscene gestures. It makes me very uncomfortable to see any of that.”
Gopinath’s life in cricket went beyond numbers. He has remained a link to an era that shaped the identity of Indian cricket, carrying its stories with clarity, warmth and a deep sense of pride.
– The end
Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
09 Apr 2026 19:28 IST
